DETERMINING VARIETIES TO PLANT 



17 



Studies made by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture indicate that the different varieties of apples require 

 rather definite periods of time following full bloom to reach 

 the correct stage for picking and that these periods do not 

 vary greatly from year to year. For some of the important 

 commercial varieties these periods, dating from the time the 

 first petals begin to fall, are: 



Days 



Yellow Transparent 60- 65 



Mcintosh 125-130 



Cortland 130 



Rhode Island Greening . . 140-145 



Jonathan 140-145 



Grimes 140-145 



Days 



Baldwin 145 



Delicious 145-150 



Ben Davis 150-155 



Rome Beauty 160-165 



Stayman 165 



Winesap 165-170 



This does not mean that the grower of Mcintosh, for 

 instance, should pick his apples in exactly 125 days from 

 date of full bloom. It does mean that he can compute the 

 picking period closely in advance, make his plans accordingly, 

 and then vary the dates in accordance with his own condi- 

 tions and the other factors affecting the date of picking. 



The grower should study the characteristics of the different 

 varieties that he has under consideration for planting. Some 

 varieties of superior quality, bring high prices, come into 

 bearing later than others under the same cultural practices. 

 Some tend to bear a crop in alternate years (biennial) , or are 

 unusually susceptible to such diseases as scab, cedar rust, 

 fire blight, etc. Varieties may be hardy and resistant to cold, 

 or susceptible to it; they may normally mature a large pro- 

 portion of their crop that will grade w^ell, or that will be in- 

 ferior in size and color. Some are so tender as to require 

 the most careful handling to avoid bruising. 



New varieties should prove themselves strongly before 

 the grower permits them to displace the profitable veterans 

 of years in his planting list. 



In case of apples, the summer and early varieties have a 



